Words & Deeds

This band sold out Red Rocks ‘instantly’ and grew too big for Boise. It’s showtime, Nampa

There’s a problem with describing Mt. Joy’s growth in the Boise market as slow and steady.

The slow part.

Since unveiling its self-titled debut album in 2018, the Philadelphia-turned-Los Angeles band has built a fast following with indie-rock songs such as “Silver Lining,” “Jenny Jenkins,” “Strangers,” “Lemon Tree” and “Highway Queen.”

After selling out Boise’s 1,000-capacity Knitting Factory in 2021, Mt. Joy followed up by selling out Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden the next year — a venue with a capacity four times as large. Ditto when the band returned in 2024.

So with Mt. Joy touring outdoor venues again in summer 2025, it was time to make room for more fans. Mt. Joy will headline the larger Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa on Sunday, Aug. 17. Tickets become available to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday starting at $49.50 through fordidahocenter.com.

Mt. Joy, from left: Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper, Jackie Miclau, Michael Byrnes and Sotiris Eliopoulos.
Mt. Joy, from left: Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper, Jackie Miclau, Michael Byrnes and Sotiris Eliopoulos. Alana Swaringen Mt. Joy/Facebook

Bigger venues? Packed shows? Those are standard procedure for Mt. Joy. After selling out consecutive nights at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2024, the band announced it would play only one gig there in 2025 (three days before its Idaho visit). Red Rocks sold out “instantly,” Mt. Joy admitted on its Facebook page.

“We know many of you are bummed to miss out on Red Rocks tickets. We wish we could play as many nights as possible at Red Rocks, but so does every band on the planet and thus the number of nights we get are limited.”

The good news? Mt. Joy likely isn’t going to sell out Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater. The grassy venue can handle more than 10,000 concertgoers.

In other outdoor concert news at Ford Idaho Center, country singer Dierks Bentley has been booked for an Aug. 1 show. Tickets become available to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday starting at $39.75 — also through fordidahocenter.com.

And country band Old Dominion will headline the amphitheater on Aug. 7 with openers Ernest and Redferrin. Tickets become available to the general public at 10 a.m. Feb. 28 starting at $37.95.

Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater can hold about 2 1/2 times as many fans as Outlaw Field.
Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater can hold about 2 1/2 times as many fans as Outlaw Field. Drew Allen Peppershock Media

This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM.

Michael Deeds
Idaho Statesman
Michael Deeds is a long-serving entertainment reporter and opinion columnist at the Idaho Statesman, where he chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. He started as a summer intern after graduating from the University of Nebraska with a news-editorial journalism degree. Deeds’ prior Statesman roles have included sportswriter, music critic and features editor. His other writing has ranged from freelancing album reviews for The Washington Post to bragging about Boise in that inflight magazine you left on the plane. 
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